The vast majority of Indians have a mobile phone and use it extensively to capture the big and small moments of their everyday life. But few of them own a good camera and a photographic printer. The culture of printed images is deeply rooted in Indian culture. This “instant” photography service makes sense, therefore, and allows people to bring home a tangible proof of this relaxing moment on the beach with friends or family.On Sunday afternoon, more than 50 photographers offer their services on the 3 km long beach. Most of them wear accessories (hats, sunglasses, necklaces) that can be lent at any time to “customers”. Photographers guide their models, convincing them to take some kind of stereotypical poses in front of the camera… In a few minutes the images are printed and given to the model under a small plastic cover protecting it from sand and sea spray.The multiple facets of the photographic act fascinate me… I immediately got caught up in the“game”, taking advantage of this wonderful opportunity to create my own mise en abyme or recursive image: a photographic image contained within another photograph…

BEACH PHOTOGRAPHERSMUMBAI, INDIA | 2014

The vast majority of Indians have a mobile phone and use it extensively to capture the big and small moments of their everyday life. But few of them own a good camera and a photographic printer. The culture of printed images is deeply rooted in Indian culture. This “instant” photography service makes sense, therefore, and allows people to bring home a tangible proof of this relaxing moment on the beach with friends or family.On Sunday afternoon, more than 50 photographers offer their services on the 3 km long beach. Most of them wear accessories (hats, sunglasses, necklaces) that can be lent at any time to “customers”. Photographers guide their models, convincing them to take some kind of stereotypical poses in front of the camera… In a few minutes the images are printed and given to the model under a small plastic cover protecting it from sand and sea spray.The multiple facets of the photographic act fascinate me… I immediately got caught up in the“game”, taking advantage of this wonderful opportunity to create my own mise en abyme or recursive image: a photographic image contained within another photograph…